5* stars for excellence and special prize for Pollmann
at the presentation of the State Award for Enterprise Quality

This year, Pollmann entered the competition for the State Award for Enterprise Quality 2015 for the first time and placed among the top contenders right away. As part of an EFQM assessment (European Foundation for Quality Management) performed by Quality Austria, Pollmann received more than 500 points and achieved the "EFQM Recognised for Excellence 5*" level.

In addition, Pollmann was honored by the jury with a special prize - a prize which was awarded to only two participants. Pollmann received this nomination under the title: "Competent and committed employees through management based on partnership".

In explaining the reasons for its decision, the State Award jury emphasized the importance Pollmann places on methods for the development and qualification of employees. As an example, the jury mentioned the opportunities for employees and apprentices to gain international experience at the global locations of the Pollmann Group and then return and apply this experience in their own environment. This is based on the Pollmann concept of a consistent qualification matrix. This matrix allows employees and managers to align their career plans with the company strategy using incremental personnel development concepts. Internal surveys regularly show that this holistic understanding of leadership not only benefits the company, but also increases employee satisfaction. This creates a positive upward spiral.

Identification and motivation at all levels is fostered by a number of soft factors which are unique to Pollmann. Managing Director Erwin Negeli is convinced: "To be a company with 1,400 employees worldwide and still act like a family, work together seamlessly across all areas with an attitude of honesty and appreciation - this is truly an amazing cultural phenomenon which makes all of us at Pollmann very happy."

Today, the success of companies is based on a leadership culture that is able to promote the intrinsic motivation of teams. "This means, for instance, that we do not drag out important issues, that we systematically initiate and consistently implement actions. When this happens, employee loyalty and commitment are a natural consequence," confirms Christoph Schuh-Wendl, Quality Manager with Pollmann in Karlstein. The Karlstein location with 550 employees realizes this vision through cyclical monitoring of the goals agreed in the Balanced Scorecard, but also through a spirit of partnership, short decision paths which crisscross the flat hierarchy, as well as cross-departmental collaboration which goes beyond the process level of so-called matrix organizations.

Erwin Negeli describes the reasons for accepting this assessment challenge: "Today it is no longer enough to certify our production company according to systems like ISO 9001 or ISO/TS 16949. We can only meet the ever increasing demands if we expand Pollmann to become an organization where professional learning takes places.” Excellent organizations achieve and sustain outstanding levels of performance that meet or exceed the expectations of all their stakeholders. This is taken from the European EFQM Model for Business Excellence which served as a comprehensive assessment basis for the analysis of the companies.